


Did You Hear the Last Call, Baby?

by SegaBarrett



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: HIV/AIDS, M/M, Reconciliation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-10-11 00:49:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17436695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SegaBarrett/pseuds/SegaBarrett
Summary: Freddie visits Paul in the hospital.





	Did You Hear the Last Call, Baby?

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't know Queen or own Bo Rhap, and as far as I know, these two never reconciled in real life. Maybe on the other side? 
> 
> A/N: Title from "Staying Power", of course. I don't know why I wrote this, but it popped into my mind and then it happened.

Freddie relies on the shades to hide his eyes, and the big maroon coat to hide the rest of him. The last thing he needs is the press recognizing him right now. 

Which is why it’s a stupid idea, stupid, stupid, stupid, and anyone would caution him against it. It’s everything he doesn’t need right now – stress and old times and blame all rolled into one. He can imagine their eyes, imagine his own, shaking heads and going, “Freddie,” in that tone of voice that follows up with, Freddie likes the drama. Freddie goes looking for it.

The blame. 

He chews on his bottom lip and then tells himself to stop it. There’s no point in hiding his eyes and body if he’s going to choreograph the most noticeable feature he has.

“Which room is Paul Prenter, please?” It’s awkward and stodgy and he can feel everyone looking at him, he’s sure, but the nurse behind the counter just tells him it’s room eighty-nine and that visitation ends at six.

He nods and shuffles down the hall, hands in the pocket of the coat because he doesn’t know where else to put them. There’s still routes of escape, he doesn’t have to do this now. He can always come back later, yeah, later or maybe never.

He doesn’t owe Paul this.

Freddie lingers at the entrance and maybe he’s asleep. Maybe that would work; he could say to himself he tried and he was asleep and at the end of the day it didn’t really matter because he tried.

He’s not asleep. 

“Paul?” 

The man looks up from his bed and cocks his head to the side as if he doesn’t quite recognize Freddie.

Freddie steps in and removes the shades, showing off the newly-grown beard but keeping the coat on. It’s freezing in here. It seems like a hospital ought to be warmer.

God, he hates hospitals.

“Freddie?” Paul replies, reaching up to rub at his eyes.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

Freddie remembers how damned easy Paul used to make it to be with him, sometimes. 

“How are you doing? Heard you were in here.” Freddie tries to make it sound casual, biting his tongue as he does. The man looks like death warmed over, there’s no way to say it better.

“Yeah,” Paul replies. “How are you?”

Freddie figures he must look like death slightly less warmed over, and that phrase sends him into an awkward giggle that he has to bite his finger to stop.

“How do you think?” Freddie tries to shoot back, but try as he might there’s no malice in it. 

“New beard,” Paul muses.

“It was time for a change.”

“I like it.”

“No, you don’t.”

Freddie considers putting his shades back on.

He sucks in a breath.

“I don’t forgive you,” he says, and Paul looks crestfallen, up at the ceiling, and then Freddie adds, “But maybe in a while. Maybe we need to fight first, or something. The Sun… really, Paul? The Sun?”

Paul’s voice cracks.

“I needed the money. You have all of them… I didn’t have anybody…”

“You had me, Paul. You could have always come to me.” Freddie swallows and looks around. “Will they let me smoke in here?”

“I don’t know… I mean, it’s a hospital. Probably.”

They both laugh, awkwardly, and Freddie sighs. He walks up to the front of the hospital bed and tries not to shudder as he looks into Paul Prenter’s eyes and reaches out to grab his hand. He gives it a squeeze.

“I’ll catch up with you soon. ‘You and me we got… staying power…’ After all. Tell them to put on something good for you. This hospital music is dreadful, dear.” 

“I’ll be sure to.”

Freddie bites his lip again.

“Goodbye, Paul.”

He lets go and walks out into the hallway, letting his arms swing at his sides. There’s no point in crying. There’s no point in talking about this ever, ever again.

He makes it a point to run all the way home.


End file.
